BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is Scotland's national broadcasting orchestra and considered one of the leading orchestras in Europe. It is one of the five full-time BBC orchestras, and the oldest full-time radio orchestra in Scotland. While most of its performances are in studio for the BBC, it has enjoyed success performing throughout the U.K. and internationally.
The BBC SSO was founded as the BBC Scottish Orchestra in 1935 by conductor and composer Ian Whyte while he served as the first head of music in Scotland for the BBC. Originally located in Edinburgh, the orchestra moved in 1938 to its newly built home in Glasgow. Throughout World War II, the orchestra continued broadcasting its live studio performances for the BBC Home and World Services. Following the war, Whyte expanded the size of the orchestra and in 1948 began the orchestra's annual trip to perform in the Edinburgh Festival. However, the majority of its performances remained in studio.
In 1960, Norman Del Mar was named principal conductor. In 1961, Del Mar lead the BBC Scottish Orchestra, along with the Scottish National Orchestra, in the U.K. premiere of Stockhausen's Gruppen für drei orchester. The following year he would lead the orchestra in its first performance at the BBC Proms. The orchestra expanded further under Del Mar, and in 1963 was renamed the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Following Del Mar's departure in 1965, the BBC SSO had a number of principal conductors, including James Loughran (1965-1971), Christopher Seaman (1971-1977), and Jerzy Maksymiuk (1983-1993). In 2003, Ilan Volkov became the youngest chief conductor of a BBC orchestra; during Volkov's tenure, the orchestra moved to its new home at City Halls in Glasgow. He served as chief conductor until 2009. In 2016, Thomas Dausgaard was named chief conductor with a contract running through 2022.
In the 1990s, while continuing to perform for BBC programming, the BBC SSO began performing more often in public. It went on international tours across Europe, the Americas, India, and China. The orchestra also attended more festivals, including the Cheltenham Festival and the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
Alongside its live broadcast performances, the BBC SSO has released a multitude of commercial recordings, with a majority on the Hyperion label. The BBC SSO under Dausgaard released a recording of Sibelius' Kullervo in 2019 on Hyperion.
© Keith Finke /TiVo
-
Tchaikovsky: The Tempest, Francesca da Rimini, The Voyevoda, Overture and Polonaise from 'Cherevichki' (Qobuz Edition)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alpesh Chauhan
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on May 19, 2023
Qobuzissime24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky Orchestral Works Vol. 2
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Alpesh Chauhan
Symphonies - Released by Chandos on Mar 15, 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bartok: The Wooden Prince (Final Version)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Onyx Classics on Mar 29, 2024
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beach, Chaminade & Howell: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 70)
Danny Driver, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Rebecca Miller
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Mar 3, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Homecoming - A Scottish Fantasy
Nicola Benedetti, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Rory MacDonald
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2013
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Elgar: Enigma Variations; In the South & Other Orchestral Works
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Oct 28, 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Albéniz: Concierto fantástico – Granados: Concerto Patético (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 65)
Melani Mestre, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on May 3, 2015
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Ravel: Piano Concertos; Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Steven Osborne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ludovic Morlot
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jun 2, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rubinstein: Piano Concerto No. 4 – Scharwenka: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 38)
Marc-André Hamelin, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Michael Stern
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Oct 1, 2005
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Tippett: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Dec 29, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Violin Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 13)
Anthony Marwood, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Douglas Boyd
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Aug 31, 2012
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Tippett: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4; Symphony in B-Flat
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Mar 1, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bloch: Schelomo & Voice in the Wilderness – Bruch: Kol Nidrei
Natalie Clein, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jul 27, 2012
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Gablenz & Paderewski: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 83)
Jonathan Plowright, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Łukasz Borowicz
Classical - Released by Hyperion on May 28, 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: Complete Music for Piano & Orchestra
Steven Osborne, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Ilan Volkov
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jun 2, 2013
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Stanford: Complete Works for Cello & Orchestra (Hyperion Romantic Cello Concerto 3)
Gemma Rosefield, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Manze
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Sep 26, 2011
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 etc. (Hyperion Romantic Cello Concerto 5)
Natalie Clein, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Manze
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Aug 31, 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Lassen, P. Scharwenka & Langgaard: Violin Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 22)
Linus Roth, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Antony Hermus
Classical - Released by Hyperion on May 31, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 & Other Works (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 19)
Jack Liebeck, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Dec 31, 2015
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Busoni & R. Strauss: Violin Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 16)
Tanja Becker-Bender, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Garry Walker
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Jul 27, 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 3 & Scottish Fantasy (Hyperion Romantic Violin Concerto 17)
Jack Liebeck, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Martyn Brabbins
Classical - Released by Hyperion on Sep 28, 2014
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo